BUS474 Management of Innovation and Intellectual Property

• Topics

  Innovation is viewed as the driver of technological change and economic growth. It is also a risky and costly process for firms. Indeed, innovators face important technical risks and uncertainty regarding the outcome of the innovation process. Moreover, many companies that initiated great innovations eventually failed because they were not able to capture profit from their inventions.

  In Part 1 of the course, we first provide an understanding of the innovation process, its determinants, and its consequences, both economy-wide and at the business level. In part 2, we focus on the institutional environment for the production of innovation. We pay particular attention to the intellectual property (IP) system. By offering a temporary monopoly over innovative ideas, IP rights (e.g., patents and trademarks) provide incentives for the production of innovation.

  The aim of this course is to provide a series of tools for understanding the specificities of the innovation process and the strategies firms can undertake to profit from technological innovation.  As innovation is the driver of technological change, which is needed to achieve sustainability, this course also provides tools to understand the process of reaching sustainability. Some of the questions addressed in the course include:

  • What is the innovation process?
  • What are the different types of innovation?
  • What are the drivers of innovation?
  • How do innovation, market structure, and competition affect each other?
  • How can firms strategically create and capture value from innovation?
  • What are the different ways governments can support innovation, and why do we need such policies?
  • What is the purpose of IP rights?
  • What are the different types of IP rights innovative actors have access to?
  • What are patents, trademarks, copyrights, and designs, and what is the process to obtain them?
  • What are the alternatives to intellectual property rights?
  • What are the industry differences in terms of intellectual property?
  • What are the strategic uses of intellectual property rights (e.g., patent races, litigation, enforcement, markets for technology...)?

  In a nutshell, this course provides a toolbox to understand the drivers and consequences of innovation both at the macro and micro levels, and to learn about innovation strategies that help firms defend against competitors and increase their profits.

  This course should be of particular interest to future managers, entrepreneurs, consultants, or policymakers, who must understand the role of innovation and IP rights, both in the economy and in business strategies.

• Learning outcome

  Knowledge

  Upon successful completion, the student

  • Has advanced knowledge of theories on innovation, Research & Development, technological change and intellectual property.
  • Has thorough knowledge to reflect critically on theories and empirical findings.
  • Can demonstrate familiarity with research in the fields of innovation and intellectual property.
  • Understands how innovation can contribute to technological change and sustainability.

  Skills

  Upon completion of the course, the student

  • Has acquired skills in applying theories, knowledge, and tools relevant to innovation and intellectual property.
  • Has developed good analytical skills.
  • Can undertake a research project on innovation and intellectual property.

  General competence

  Upon completion of the course, the student

  • Can analyze relevant literature and has the insights to connect theory with practice.
  • Can reflect critically on theories, methods, tools, and data within the field.
  • Has developed collaborative and co-creative skills.

• Teaching

  Lectures, case discussion, classroom experiments.

• Credit reduction due to overlap

  Course identical to NBD404

• Compulsory Activity

  None.

• Assessment

  1. Assignment (in groups of 1-3 students) on the innovation and IP strategy of a company of the student's choice (30%). The final submission deadline for the assignment is during the final week of the course. Students will have the opportunity to discuss the assignment with the professor and get feedback before the final submission.    

  2. Two hours individual written digital school-exam (70%).

  Both the assignment and the school-exam have to be answered in English.

• Grading Scale

  A-F

• Computer tools

  Knowledge of a statistical software will be helpful for the group assignment.

• Literature

  To be announced.

• Permitted Support Material

  One bilingual dictionary (Category I)

  All in accordance with Supplementary provisions to the Regulations for Full-time Study Programmes at the Norwegian School of Economics Ch.4 Permitted support materialhttps://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/regulations/https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/regulations/and https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/examinations/examination-support-materials/https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/examinations/examination-support-materials/